Picturesque and Pure
by Talitha Koum
Summary: Haku x Chihiro. 'In expressing his thanks, Haku stepped near and kissed Chihiro’s smiling lips. Being so tender, it felt as tangible as the light of day dancing on the crests of the river’s waves. Picturesque and pure.' Pointless fluff. Haku POV.


Dedicated to my Eternal Kiss.

_A/N: I noticed that the restoration of the Kohaku River is _always_ in Chihiro's point of view. That's assuming I've actually read every single fan fiction alive. Which I haven't! So, anyway, I thought: how about some good ol' Haku POV, eh? I'm best at male standpoints, in any case. Even though I'm a girl. Go figure._

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Spirited Away. Nope. Not the DVD, either.

**Picturesque and Pure **

Haku crouched upon the tiled roof of the magnificent bathhouse. Technically, he was off duty. (If such jargon existed in his employer's dictionary. _He doubted it_.) So, in a sense, this allotted him precious minutes in which he could catch his breath.

It wasn't possible to_truly_ unwind. He'd been sent on Yubaba's private missions ever since he could remember. Letting his guard down seemed much too feckless. Instead of stretching his aching muscles, he thought it best to sweep the immediate area. Security measures.

Haku sighed. He was a creature of habit if there ever was one.

Which was probably the reason he'd continued to work for Yubaba after Chihiro had returned to him the most precious of information. _His name_. For a good while, Haku enjoyed hanging said truffle over Yubaba's head. Seeing her visage erupt into flame was priceless. If not terrifying.

And _anything_ set the witch on edge. What with her rank as the head of the bathhouse now compromised. Amusingly enough, her son was the one that granted the old hag a change of heart. Go figure.

All the same, Haku had fallen into his old routine. Now taking _favors_ instead of missions thanks to Zeniba. Which was just fine with him. He had every right to choose _what_ he wanted to do and _when_ he wanted to do it.

Almost.

Whenever Haku had too much time to think, his mind would wander to places best left forgotten. So preached Lin. But, conversely, Kamaji was the one that said the slave knew nothing of love...

Haku shook his troubled head. He splayed out his hands on the hot shingles. He ran his knuckles over their crevices. Anything to keep his mind on the present. For the moment was vast. That's what he had to keep telling himself.

Haku craned his neck. His shoulder-length, raven locks fingered the wind. The draft was cool and smelled of fresh water. On its back rode the voices of the bathhouse clamor. Almost undetectable. Haku allowed the breeze to caress his face.

He lifted his right hand toward the sky. Through his parted fingers slipped soft, golden rays of the setting sun. He could feel their heat against his palm. Although muted, it reminded him where he hailed from. Where he was destined to return. Seeing his hand positioned in such a fashion triggered the memory of Chihiro's touch. When, in hesitance, she'd realized that she was returning to normal. A solid.

Haku curled his fingers into a tight fist - to keep the lingering sensation where it was. It had been ten years to the day that he'd released Chihiro's hand, telling her not to look back. He would've regretted his decision if he hadn't known it was for her benefit.

Besides, his promise to see Chihiro again held fast. He wasn't going to abandon it so readily. Nor would she. News of her endeavors had a habit of finding him wherever he roamed.

"Master Haku!" Servant voices rang in his ears. "_Master Haku_!"

Haku grunted. Once he was free of the Spirit World, Yubaba would have a hard time running things without his assist. In fact, it'd be downright comical. She'd have to get her hands dirty. Literally.

Haku rightened. He dusted off his wafting, white smock, prepared to rectify whatever had gone amiss this time.

...something stopped him...

At first, Haku thought it was his lack of want to leave his so-called sanctuary. But when he found that his entire body was locked in a vice, he began to suspect that it was something more. Magic, more. He would have pinned the whole ordeal on Yubaba, but Zeniba had taken care of her sister's lust for power by removing it.

So what was left to affect him?

With all his might, Haku tried to move. His teeth were so bared they began to pain his jaw. Arms taunt, he tried again. And again. But to no avail. More than likely, he would've been concerned about his well-being if he hadn't felt his system surge.

Every sense heightened. Dramatically. Haku could feel and smell things that weren't really there. They coursed through his limbs like a tide. His heart rate increased tenfold.

Haku's eyes were inevitably drawn toward the sky. His clothes and his hair billowed in the same direction, reaching for a tiny light in the distance. It looked like a star, but its intensity was far too great.

_It called his name_.

Slowly, his bind to the bathhouse deteriorated. Haku stood in a hover, not of his own accord. The voices of the frantic servants dwindled into nothingness as everything around him lost all shape. The brilliant colors of the sunset dulled in hue. Still, Haku refused to deter.

In one, fluid motion, he unraveled. Silvery scales protruded from his skin in a torrent, lightning fast, like the release of a dam. Their abrupt manifestation sounded like a waterfall.

Barely cognizant of what was taking place, Haku drifted out of thought and time.

All at once, he jettisoned toward the heavens, a gleaming ribbon in the darkness.

How the sound of his name did resonate. Every which way, he encountered a whisper. And from this voice, he discerned a note of endearment. It was someone he knew. Someone he cared for.

It was Chihiro.

The revelation empowered him. He flew faster, matching the speed of his pulse. As Haku hastened to, the clouded atmosphere grew thick with chilled humidity. So much so that it felt as if he were swimming _in_ the gloom instead of flying _through_ it.

A current of bubbles welcomed him, bright and blazing. They gushed up his nose like an explosion. Not that they were a problem. Quite the opposite. Haku inhaled the white water, thrilled with the feeling. His long belly skimmed alongside sediment and moss-covered rocks.

The star Haku followed burst to life, drenching him with sunlight. It filtered through the mile-high trees that towered over his riverbed. Blossoming leaves swayed in the wind. Those that managed to escape their knotted limbs were caught by none other than he.

Haku was numbed. Only for a moment. He couldn't help but laugh. Sheer euphoria.

He was home.

Haku gained his head. He made to locate the origin of the voice that plagued his surroundings. He rounded bend after bend, ever searching. It wasn't long before he spotted a young woman in the distance. She stood on his grassy bank...calling for him...

_Chihiro_.

The woman looked straight in his direction. She gaped, just about as terrified as he'd ever seen her. Which was saying a lot. He didn't bother trying to decipher Chihiro's countenance. There wasn't a chance. Water churned at Haku's scaled sides, a bit over-enthused. When he came to a halt in front of his savior, it was of no surprise that a tidalwave was on his tail.

Chihiro covered her face with her arms, ready to take the brunt of the Kohaku. However, there was no need for that. Haku entwined himself around her body, protecting Chihiro from the flood. Once his accidental deluge subsided, he collected himself at her front. He reformed as his human-like alias.

Haku watched Chihiro make to peek past her wrists. When her eyes locked onto his _very-much-_not_-imaginary_ chest, they widened. Her mouth opened to say something, but her words clogged in her throat.

Similarly, just as Chihiro was drenched with river, Haku was soaked in her presence. Chihiro's damp, mahogany bangs lay plastered to her cheeks; the rest was undeniably tied back in a ponytail. Water trickled down her nose...her face that had lost its childish nature. Yet retained it at the same time. Her ocean eyes brimmed at the sight of him.

There was complete silence.

"_HAKU_!" Chihiro threw her arms around his neck, slinging water everywhere. The plain T-shirt she wore clung to Haku's dry smock. The wild embrace lasted but a moment. Chihiro retreated, pulled a waterlogged piece of paper from her pocket, and began rambling about things such as the government, national parks, media, endless paper work...

Haku cared a great deal about what she had to say. Even so, it was an effort to focus. All he knew was this: she'd rescued him. Twice now. Haku took one look at the smeared, federal seal at the document's edge, never saying a word. Not one. He simply reveled in being where he was.

Chihiro finally ran out of breath. She tucked her hair behind her ears and beamed like a beacon, proud of her accomplishment. "...welcome home."

Haku's decision to proceed was an easy one.

In expressing his thanks, he stepped near and kissed Chihiro's smiling lips. Being so tender, it felt as tangible as the light of day dancing on the crests of the river's waves. Picturesque and pure.

Contented, Haku withdrew enough to alight his forehead to Chihiro's. "Chihiro..." His voice was like the raucous Kohaku itself.

Chihiro hummed her query, dreamy and heavy-lidded against him.

"Thank you."

**ooo**

_A/N: Snacks, I didn't manage those three-little-words this go around. I'm stunned! Maybe I'll continue with this if I find the time. (Pfft...right...) But, for now, I'll leave it a one-shot._

_Review and I'll get back to you!_

_God bless!_


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